A guide to the Houston legal market with Bracewell

Chambers Associate: What attracted you to the Houston legal market?

Andrew Bueso, finance partner: I was born and raised in Houston, so returning home was an important factor for me. At the same time, I knew I wanted to work on sophisticated, complex transactions. Houston, as one of the largest legal markets in the country, offers no shortage of that work. Houston also offers a fantastic food scene, tremendous diversity, and a cost of living that allows for a high quality of life relative to other major markets.

Cole Thoms, litigation associate: The Houston legal market offered a unique intersection of a big city —including the nation’s top law firms, blue-chip clients, novel legal disputes, and top-of-market salaries — with the home-grown industry leaders in the oil and gas, energy and healthcare markets.

Will Bledsoe, projects associate: I was a chemical engineering major in college and knew I wanted to pursue energy law. I learned that Houston was the headquarters for this practice, and so I mostly applied to firms here even though I hadn’t spent time in the city. Bracewell was at the top of my list, so it all came together.

 

CA: In your own words, describe the Houston legal market. How has the market changed in the last 5 years?

AB: The Houston legal market is smaller and more interconnected than people often expect. You frequently work across the table from the same attorneys on different deals. That familiarity fosters a collaborative environment where lawyers can advocate strongly for their clients while still working efficiently toward closing transactions. Over the past five years, I’ve seen a significant shift driven by the energy transition: while oil and gas remains foundational, renewables, carbon capture, and other energy-transition transactions are now a meaningful and growing part of the market.

 

"Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the US according to several studies, and I think the Houston legal market mirrors that diversity."

 

Stephanie Song, finance partner: Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the US according to several studies, and I think the Houston legal market mirrors that diversity. Historically, Houston (and by association, the Houston legal market) has had a reputation for being the “energy capital” but primarily in the oil and gas space. So while Houston lawyers worked on matters in a variety of industries, the market-leading matters seemed to have been primarily in the oil and gas space. However, in recent years, Houston lawyers have made headline news for matters in a variety of industries, including solar, CCUS, healthcare, and technology.

CT: The market continues to grow, attracting national and international law firms to open or expand their offices and presence in the city. This influx of firms continues to increase the competition for talent and the acquisition and retention of clients and their business.

WB: While I was in law school, large national firms started moving into Houston and recruiting at UT. There has been a lot of expansion in the market since then, as well as a tremendous amount of growth. 

 

CA: What practices are most active in Houston at the moment? How is your practice evolving or experiencing significant growth?

AB: Debt finance is very active in Houston, particularly in energy-related transactions. My practice has evolved as clients increasingly pursue renewables projects and energy transition opportunities alongside traditional energy assets. That mix has allowed me to broaden my experience while continuing to work on complex, high-value financings.

CT: The consolidation of business operations and weathering of uncertain economic times has increased the number of commercial disputes the litigation team has been handling, as well as the types of matters handled by our transactional and bankruptcy colleagues.

WB: Anything transactional - private M&A, finance, project finance. All these practices have ties to the energy industry. My practice so far has focused on projects, and I work on hard asset transactions. The split is about 50-60% traditional oil and gas and about 40-50% renewables. 

 

CA: What local and national trends are currently driving work in your practice?

SS: In my practice, there does not seem to be a distinction between a local trend and a national trend. Similar to the diversification of the Houston legal market, my finance practice in the last five years has evolved. Historically, 80-90% of my matters were in the conventional energy sector including upstream oil and gas reserve-based facilities, midstream infrastructure financings and oilfield services working capital facilities. Now my practice is much broader with matters involving not just oil and gas but also solar, battery storage, LNG, real estate, technology, commodities, construction and building services, maritime, and retail.

CT: A local trend that will continue to influence litigation is the recent development of the Texas Business Courts. Clients are more proactively considering the inclusion of forum-selection clauses in their agreements or filing or removing their disputes to the Texas Business Courts. As the Business Courts begin to issue rulings and perform on their promise of quicker resolution of cases, I expect even more disputes will move toward the Business Courts.

WB: The One Big Beautiful Bill is cutting back on energy tax incentives. There have been a lot of buildouts and the price of oil in the upstream M&A market is low now.

 

CA: What types of clients do you work with most often?

AB: I primarily represent corporate borrowers, as well as large national and international banks. Given the nature of debt finance transactions, I am able to build long-term relationships with clients over the full tenor of the financings I help put in place. That continuity allows me to better understand my clients’ businesses and makes the work especially rewarding.

 

"Houston is the home of energy, so our client base reflects that."

 

CT: Houston is the home of energy, so our client base reflects that. Most clients are larger corporate entities that are affiliated with the energy industry in some capacity.

WB: My clients are a mix of large energy companies and private equity-backed shops.

 

CA: How often do you find yourself collaborating with colleagues in other Texas offices? What about nationally and internationally?

AB: Collaboration across offices is a regular part of my practice. I frequently work with colleagues in Bracewell’s other Texas offices, whether it’s our environmental group in Austin or our real estate team in Dallas. I’ve also worked with attorneys in our Washington, DC, and New York offices, as well as our Dubai and London offices, particularly on cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions. The firm’s integrated approach makes those collaborations seamless. I always enjoy working with my colleagues in our other offices. Bracewell is a very close-knit firm, so I enjoy getting to work closely with my friends and colleagues in other offices whom I don’t get to see on a regular basis in Houston.

SS: I collaborate with my colleagues in our other US offices on almost every transaction. On my matters, the tax colleagues are in Dallas and in New York and the environmental and regulatory colleagues are in Austin and Washington, DC. Since most of my matters are US-facing, I do not get a chance to collaborate as much with my international colleagues on deals. However, I interact and collaborate with my international colleagues quite often on client development projects.   

WB: I regularly work with lawyers across offices in Texas. Right now, I have some real estate projects with the San Antonio office. Another associate just moved to Dallas, and I still work with her a lot. I’ve also been working closely with one of our tax partners in Dallas on upstream transactions and with another partner in New York. As a junior associate, I’ve had opportunities to do a lot of diligence for our London office on financing for offshore leases, JOAs, and hard contracts.

 

CA: How would you describe the culture of Bracewell’s Houston office and the firm generally? What makes Bracewell stand out?

AB: What sets Bracewell apart is its deep industry focus—particularly in energy and finance—combined with a genuinely supportive culture.

SS: One of the main reasons why I have spent 25 years building my career at Bracewell is because of its culture. That’s what makes Bracewell stand out. We are collegial, collaborative, and committed. I spend my working days with colleagues who respect each other, who value teamwork across other offices but also across the different practices and who are committed to providing the best client services. 

CT: The firm prides itself on home-grown talent, and the Houston office is a shining example of that mindset. Bracewell’s retention of talent is among the best in “big law,” resulting in a cohesive, collegial environment that provides younger associates immediate opportunities to succeed with a substantial amount of support from the partnership. The firm takes a long-term approach to acquiring talent, both when recruiting law students and acquiring lateral associates and partners. Once you are at Bracewell, the firm empowers you to shape your legal career.

WB: What sold me on Bracewell was how friendly the people are, and it’s still what I enjoy now. Our Houston office has an in-office culture, and we want to talk to each other and interact with our team. As a summer associate, everyone wants to get to know you and your family. They are genuinely interested in your hobbies and who you are as a person. Being able to interact with other associates and learn from partners in person is what I really value. This really stood out for me in the recruiting process. I could tell Bracewell attorneys were excited to recruit and invested in the people we hired. That wasn’t necessarily the same for other firms. 

 

CA: What are a few lifestyle advantages to practicing in Houston?

AB: Houston offers the amenities of a major city without the cost-of-living pressures found in many other large markets. Shorter commutes, diverse neighborhoods, and exceptional dining make it easier to balance a demanding practice with life outside the office. That balance is a real advantage over the long term.

CT: The cost of living is fantastic. Your dollar goes so much further in Houston. The availability of housing in fantastic neighborhoods with wonderful schools within a reasonable commute of downtown is unmatched. Plus, the food scene in Houston is criminally underrated.

WB: I grew up in Kansas and had never been to Houston outside of joining Bracewell’s summer program. Houston is a perfect suburban metropolis. You get the neighborhood feel, and the benefits of being in a bigger city around downtown. You can have a house and still have a 10-minute drive downtown and walk to fantastic restaurants serving international food.

 

CA: What learning or development opportunities (CLEs, academies, business development) have opened up in your career by practicing in Houston?

 

"Practicing in Houston has provided meaningful access to client development events and industry conferences, such as NAPE and CERAWeek, where lawyers regularly interact with clients and deal counterparties."

 

AB: Practicing in Houston has provided meaningful access to client development events and industry conferences, such as NAPE and CERAWeek, where lawyers regularly interact with clients and deal counterparties. These events create opportunities to build relationships, deepen industry knowledge, and better understand market dynamics outside of active transactions. Being in Houston makes it easier to engage consistently in those settings.

CT: A benefit of a large number of our clients being headquartered in and around Houston is that I’ve had a lot of in-person interactions with our clients in their offices, whether related to an active case or as part of a joint CLE-presentation that would not be feasible in a different city. These opportunities for business development and networking have been beneficial for the firm as we continue to expand and entrench our representation of these clients.

WB: Bracewell has a range of programming from subject-matter CLEs, and I really enjoy hearing about different practices. Everyone at the firm is so passionate about their work. Junior attorneys also attend bootcamps once a week for about an hour. This helps them build the confidence to ask questions and provides opportunities to interact with more senior attorneys. Partners are always available and want to help you learn. They will use their whiteboards to explain their practice even though they are busy because they love the work they do.

 

CA: What does the path to partnership look like in Houston? How early did you start collaborating with partners and working directly with clients?

AB: The path to partnership in Houston emphasizes technical excellence, client development, and collaboration. I began working directly with partners and clients very early in my career, which helped me build confidence and professional relationships, as well as my technical legal skills. That early exposure is common in Houston and is a key part of professional development.

CT: Bracewell has a clear and defined path toward partnership. I began collaborating directly with partners as soon as I started. For example, I was actively involved in expert witness examination preparation with the senior partner on a case six months into my job. I also handled discovery on a regulatory matter requiring daily interaction with legal and business individuals at a prominent multinational energy company as a second-year associate.

WB: This depends a lot on the firm. At Bracewell, making partner feels really tangible. We recently made new partner promotions at the firm. Almost all of them were former summer associates. That seems way higher than at other firms or in other markets.

 

CA: What’s a common misconception about the Houston legal market?

AB: Common misconceptions are that Houston is only an oil and gas market and that it is not as sophisticated as markets like New York. While energy remains central, the work here includes complex commercial transactions across a wide range of industries, including renewables, infrastructure, finance, healthcare, and technology. The market is far more diverse and sophisticated than many outsiders realize.

CT: It is not all cowboy boots and oil & gas. The legal market is sophisticated, spans numerous leading industries, and can compete toe-to-toe with the other leading legal markets in the United States.

WB: My sense is that people wrongly assume Houston is a smaller fish in terms of banking. So far, I haven’t found that to be true. A lot of people grow up in Houston and want to stay in the city, so there is a lot of loyalty here. Others, like me, move to Houston from various places. The work in Houston is a clear draw.

 

CA: What is your favorite thing about Houston? This could be something to do with your practice, or your life in general.

AB: Houston offers the best of both worlds: the amenities of big-city living—professional sports teams, a vibrant arts scene, and great restaurants—along with the space, affordability, and comfort that make it an ideal place to raise a family. It’s a city where you can enjoy everything a major metropolitan area has to offer without sacrificing quality of life. That combination is what makes Houston such a special place to build both a career and a life. Professionally, you get sophisticated transactions; personally, you get a city that feels liveable and welcoming. That combination is hard to beat.

SS: My favorite thing about Houston is its diversity whether that is in the food scene, in the people living in your neighborhood, or in the legal community.

CT: Houston truly offers something for everyone. Beyond the diverse and substantial legal market where high-value transactions and bet-the-company lawsuits occur, the city, its attractions, and the surrounding communities provide a sense of “build-your-own” adventure where you can craft your practice and lifestyle to your liking.

 

CA: What is the one piece of advice you’d like to give to an aspiring lawyer looking to begin their career in Houston?

AB: Be curious and take advantage of the access you’ll have to partners, clients, and meaningful work early on. Houston rewards lawyers who are proactive, collaborative, and commercially minded. If you invest in relationships and focus on becoming a trusted problem-solver, opportunities will follow.

SS: Find a place where you can gain hands-on experience early on and learn as much as you can from people who are willing to invest in your career.  

 

"Houston offers an amazing opportunity to begin your career, but its growing popularity and increasing competition will reward attorneys who come in with a clear goal for their legal career."

 

CT: Be intentional. Houston offers an amazing opportunity to begin your career, but its growing popularity and increasing competition will reward attorneys who come in with a clear goal for their legal career.

WB: When you are in law school, the recruiting process is so daunting. You apply broadly because your goal is to get a job. In my experience, the only places I did well at were the places where I was passionate about their work. It was easier to explain my interest and write a more compelling cover letter. If you’re from Houston, tell them your ties. Now that I’m on the other side of the recruiting process, it’s easy to spot those candidates with a genuine interest in your work, the firm, or Houston in general.

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